Archive for the ‘Mecum’ tag

The 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO that sold for $38.116 million in August. Photo by author.

When we recapped the top-10 cars sold at auction in 2013, Ferrari was well-represented on the list, but was far from the sole marque. Call 2014 “the year of the Ferrari,” then, because this year’s top-10 list consists exclusively of Ferrari models, built between 1953 and 1967. Throw out a June sale, later canceled due to pending litigation over ownership, and a Ford GT40 prototype makes the list, but there’s no getting around the fact that Ferraris have become the blue chip investment cars of choice among collectors.

Factor in the disputed Ferrari, and this year’s grand total reaches $151,518,683, or $11,252,035 more than last year’s $140,266,648, a growth of eight percent in revenue. The revenue growth from 2012 to 2013, however, measured a whopping 63.25 percent; toss out the disputed sale and add the next car on the list, and this year’s grand total reaches $140,202,837, a drop of $63,811 from 2013. Does this mean the high-end collector car market is cooling? We’re not sure there’s enough data to make a call one way or another, but it’s safe to assume that 2015 sales will be watched very closely by collectors and auction houses alike.

Without further ado, here is this year’s roundup of top auction sales. Unless otherwise indicated, sale prices include buyer’s fees, and lots sold at overseas auctions include currency conversions at the time of the sale.

11. $7,000,000, excluding fees:1964 Ford GT40 prototype, sold by Mecum Auctions at its Houston sale in April. The fourth GT40 prototype, chassis GT/104 was also the first one delivered to Shelby American. Driven by the likes of Bruce McLaren, Dickie Atwood, Bob Bondurant and Richie Ginther, GT/104 ran in-period at Le Mans, Nassau, Monza, Daytona and the Nürburgring before serving as a show car. Restored to its 1965 livery the GT40 is thought to retain its original 289-cu.in. engine block and Colotti transmission.

1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

10. $7,260,000:1953 Ferrari 250 MM Berlinetta, sold by Bonhams at its Quail Lodge sale in August. Driven by Phil Hill to a victory in its first race outing, this Ferrari twice graced the cover of Road & Track magazine, in 1955 and 1965. Previously part of the Maranello Rosso collection, this car is described as a “particularly fine example” of the first collaboration between Enzo Ferrari and Battista “Pinin” Farina.

1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C. Photo by Tom Wood, courtesy RM Auctions.

9. $7,860,283:1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/C, sold by RM Auctions at its Monaco sale in May. Said to be perhaps the most original example remaining, this one-of-12-built 275 GTB/C is also numbers-matching, as certified by Ferrari Classiche. Despite its pedigree, the car is regularly exercised on the vintage rally circuit, having competed in the Tour de France Automobile, the Ferrari 250 GTO reunion and the Ferrari 275 Anniversary Tour.

8. $7,862,554:1956 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione “Tour de France,” sold by RM Auctions at its London sale in September. Like most competition Ferraris, the 250 GT Berlinetta Competizione is anything but common. Nine examples were constructed, with this car being the second-to-last one built; adding to its desirability are a string of in-period victories and verification of its numbers-matching status by Ferrari Classiche.

7. $8,800,000:1958 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider, sold by RM Auctions at its Scottsdale sale in January. Considered by some to be the most beautiful Ferrari of all, California Spider models command impressive prices when they turn up at auction. This example was helped by its numbers-matching status and extensive documentation by Ferrari historian Marcel Massini.

1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4. Photo by author.

6. $10,175,000:1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, sold by RM Auctions at its Monterey sale in August. A striking and desirable car by anyone’s estimation, this example’s price was aided by both its Steve McQueen ownership and a thorough restoration by Ferrari Classiche, completed in autumn 2013. It also came with a rare factory hardtop, further raising its stock price.

1964 Ferrari 250 LM. Photo by Pawel Litwinski, courtesy RM Auctions.

5. $11,550,000:1964 Ferrari 250 LM, sold by RM Auctions at its Monterey sale in August. Just 32 examples of the Scaglietti-bodied 250 LM were built by Ferrari, making them rare and desirable among collectors. This 250 LM spent time as Bill Harrah’s personal car, and captured a second-in-class award at the 1969 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Restored several times over its lifespan; the work was most recently carried out by Ferrari Classiche, resulting in Red Book certification.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider. Photo by author.

4. $15,180,000:1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider, sold by Gooding and Company at its Pebble Beach sale in August. Ferrari’s short wheelbase (SWB) California Spiders followed the long wheelbase (LWB) models to market, but lost none of the original car’s style in the update. This example was said to contain its original chassis, coachwork, engine, gearbox, differential, suspension and braking systems, as certified by Ferrari Classiche.

1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione. Photo courtesy Bonhams.

3. $18,315,846: 1954 Ferrari 375-Plus Spider Competizione, sold by Bonhams at its Goodwood sale in June, but since withdrawn. The Ferrari was long the subject of an intercontinental dispute between owners past and present; Bonhams believed it had helped to negotiate a settlement between parties ahead of the car’s sale. Bidding for this one-of-five 375-Plus models built quickly reached $18.3 million, setting (at the time) a new record for a competition Ferrari, but the transaction was later voided by the auction firm pending the outcome of the ongoing legal battle.

2. $26,400,000:1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale, sold by RM Auctions at its Monterey sale in August. Ferrari only built three works 275 GTB/C Speciale models, making the car considerably rarer than the 250 GTO. This example came with a well-documented ownership history and a numbers-matching engine, and has made only limited display and vintage racing appearances since its 1998 restoration.

1962 Ferrari 250 GTO. Photo by author.

1. $38,115,000:1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, sold by Bonhams at its Quail Lodge sale in August. Sales of Ferrari’s revered 250 GTO are a rare occurrence, with examples almost always changing hands in private transactions. While this 250 GTO, also from the Maranello Rosso Collection, had a well-documented competition history, it was also involved in a fatal crash during its first season of competition. Superstition, however, didn’t prevent bidders from driving the price to a 2014 record-setting $38.115 million.

A lot can happen in 10 years. When muscle car collector and museum founder Tim Wellborn spoke with Hemmings Muscle Machines for a profile on him in 2005, he said he’d owned many of his cars for decades and didn’t much care about their values because he wasn’t interested in selling them. These days, though, he’s probably a little more concerned with what they’re worth, given that he recently committed about half of his collection to auction.

Photo by Craig Fitzgerald.

“I’ve really always considered myself just the caretaker of these cars, and now it’s time to let someone else take on that role,” Wellborn said in a press release announcing the sale. “It’s tough to let go, but… it’s just time.”

As Wellborn told the story, his passion for muscle cars began when his father ordered a 440-powered Butterscotch 1971 Dodge Charger new, and though Wellborn wasn’t yet old enough to drive the car, he pestered the dealer for the car’s delivery date over the next few months and washed and waxed it often once it arrived. Unsurprisingly, once he grew old enough to start purchasing muscle cars of his own, he gravitated to the 1971 Dodge Charger and has since assembled a collection of muscle cars that largely focuses on that year, make, and model, with examples in just about every color, drivetrain combination, and trim level available.

While Welborn packed a couple of garages on his property with his cars – including a custom-built structure patterned after the English carriage houses he saw in England while visiting the country with his Bobby Isaac 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona – he also bought a former Chevrolet dealership in his hometown of Alexander City, Alabama, to house the Wellborn Musclecar Museum. Since opening the museum in 2010, Wellborn has hosted a number of events there, including a 40th anniversary celebration for the 1971 Dodge Charger and an all-muscle invitational show. According to a recent post on the museum’s website, the 45th Aero Warriors Reunion, which was scheduled to take place at the museum, has been postponed due to Wellborn’s health.

Photo by Craig Fitzgerald.

According to Mecum’s announcement of the sale, this doesn’t mean the end of the Wellborn Musclecar Museum. “The goal here is really to make room to continue rotating the museum inventory,” he said. “Space is limited, so we can’t just keep adding to the current group of cars, and we want to keep the muscle car displays fresh.”

Mecum’s Kissimmee auction will take place January 16-25 at Osceola Heritage Park. For more information, visit Mecum.com.

UPDATE (26.January 2015): Of the 23 vehicles consigned, all but two sold over the weekend. The total take from the 21 was $4,228,000, with the 1969 Dodge Daytona with a Hemi and a four-speed topping the list at $900,000. Of the 1971 Chargers in the group, the top sale went to the last Hemi Charger built, which sold for $295,000. The 1966 Ford N-500 flatbed truck sold for $62,000.

Things will be hopping in Monterey this weekend, with auctions and concours events and historic rides planned. Mecum Auctions will once again host a car and motorcycle sale during the festivities. Over 750 vehicles will be up for bids over three days at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on 1 Old Golf Course Road in Monterey, California, at the Del Monte Golf Course, with perhaps the most noteworthy being the ex-Steve McQueen 1912 Harley-Davidson.

The event takes place from August 12-14, with vehicle bidding starting daily at 10 a.m. Over 75 motorcycles will also be sold at a separate auction at 4 p.m. on Thursday, with quite a few interesting prewar Harleys, Indians, Popes, and Excelsiors available, as well as many classic British, German and Japanese bikes from the postwar period. Many of the bikes are from the private collection of Gary Hite, but one of the headline bikes featured in Mecum’s catalog is the 1912 Harley-Davidson X8E that was once owned by Steve McQueen.

Purchased from the McQueen estate at an auction in Las Vegas in 1984, the bike is presented with a certificate of authenticity from the McQueen family. The “survivor” bike has had a repaint done decades ago, and some of the repaint has been removed on the left side, showing the original paint from when the bike was new.

The bike is also of historical note, because 1912 was the first year of Harley-Davidson’s 60-cubic-inch Big Twin engine. The 8-horsepower engine was introduced late in production that year, and the early 1912 bikes had the standard 49-cubic-inch powerplant.

The bike is in running condition and is said to have been driven in at least one pre-1916 motorcycle event since it was purchased. Mecum has posted a video on its website showing the bike being started and driven down a farmer’s driveway. The bike also sports vintage dealer decals from AMA Hall of Famer Tom Sifton of San Jose, California, still on both sides of the tool box forward of the rear fender.

One of the largest annual Corvette gatherings in the country will go forward this year without its traditional all-Corvette auction after Dana Mecum decided to cancel what would have been his 18th annual sale at the Bloomington Gold show.

As posted to Mecum.com, auction house officials decided to withdraw from the show that Dana Mecum himself once owned because interest in the auction has waned. “It’s official for this year, but who’s to say if we’ll return to Bloomington in the future,” Christine Giovingo, Mecum’s media relations director said. “There’s no hard feelings whatsoever [with the organizers of Bloomington Gold].”

The lack of interest, according to the Mecum statement, comes from Corvette owners choosing to consign their cars at other Mecum auctions across the country. Indeed, the number of Corvettes consigned to Mecum’s Bloomington Gold auction has steadily dropped from a high of 321 cars in 2010 (and a total sale of nearly $7.7 million in 2008) to less than 130 cars and a total sale of less than $1.8 million last year, causing Mecum to shorten the sale from two days to one day in 2012. In addition, some of the most high-profile Corvettes to cross a Mecum auction block over the last couple of years – including the record-setting 1967 Corvette L88, the 3,000-mile McNamara Corvette, the Real McCoy Corvette, and Harley Earl’s 1963 styling Corvette – have come up for sale somewhere other than Illinois.

That’s no happenstance, though, according to Guy Larsen, who bought the Bloomington Gold show from Mecum in February 2012 and has since moved it from St. Charles, Illinois, to Champaign, Illinois. “When Dana first started the Corvette auction, he didn’t allow Corvettes in his other auctions,” he said. “It was only when he opened up Corvettes to his other auctions that the numbers at Bloomington went down.”

Larsen said he doesn’t see Mecum pulling out of Bloomington Gold as a negative, however. “We’re not sure whether we’ll replace it with another auction – there may not be a need for one,” he said. “What really matters is whether we offer something that adds to the event for the attendees.”

Nor does Larsen blame Mecum for the withdrawal. “Dana’s business model is big auctions, not boutique auctions,” he said. “He’s doing 1,000 cars elsewhere, and you just can’t do 1,000 Corvettes here.” He said he continues to consult with Mecum on a regular basis, and Mecum has been included in this year’s Bloomington Gold Great Hall inductee list.

The cancellation leaves Mecum with 19 total collector car, tractor, and motorcycle auctions on its annual schedule.

This year’s Bloomington Gold show will take place June 27-29. For more information, visit BloomingtonGold.com.

It took more than just horsepower to push Detroit’s full-size cars into the 12s in the early 1960s – it also took some extreme weight-saving measures, perhaps none more extreme than Pontiac’s “Swiss cheese” approach. But it also took the talent of drivers and tuners like Howard Maselles, whose ultra-lightweight record-setting 1963 Pontiac Catalina will cross the block this month and could sell for as much as $800,000.

In order to shed weight from the Catalina in 1962, Pontiac introduced a series of aluminum parts – such as front and rear bumpers, front fenders and fender liners, hood, radiator support, splash pan, and radiator – chopping an impressive 159 pounds from the production car’s curb weight of 3,730 pounds. With a 421-cu.in. Super Duty V-8 beneath the hood conservatively rated at 405 horsepower, these Catalinas were capable of mid-12-second runs at the hands of drivers like Arlen Vanke, Arnie Beswick, Hayden Proffitt and Howard Maselles.

The competition did not sit idly by, and by the end of the 1962 season, Pontiac realized that substantial changes to the Catalina would be necessary to keep the car competitive in 1963. Additional horsepower for the 421-cu.in. Super Duty V-8 came with the addition of new Mickey Thompson pistons that boosted the compression ratio from 12.0:1 to 13.0:1, a new camshaft grind working lighter valves, updated cylinder heads with larger exhaust valves, and a new a “bathtub” intake manifold. Just as the old Super Duty 421 was deliberately underrated at 405 horsepower, so too was the updated Super Duty 421, which “officially” produced 410 horsepower, at least according to the numbers published by Pontiac.

The big changes for 1963, however, came in the form of a crash diet that saw the Catalina shed roughly another 270 pounds over the previous year’s car, putting the 1963 factory lightweight Catalina at a truly impressive 3,300 pounds. To achieve this, engineers cut the car’s box frame to form a U-shaped frame, then set to work cutting approximately 120 holes in the steel frame to shed weight (and, presumably, leave the frame just strong and rigid enough for competition). It was this distinctive lightening that gave rise to the car’s “Swiss cheese” nickname, but the weight savings didn’t stop there. Like the 1962 cars, the new versions benefited from the extensive use of aluminum in front end components and the deletion of all sound-deadening material, and further weight savings were realized by deleting the front anti-roll bar (the lightweight Catalinas, Pontiac rationalized, would not be cornered aggressively). Big gains came in the form of thinner-gauge aluminum stampings for the front fenders, hood, and other non-stressed members, as well as the use of aluminum (instead of cast iron) for the exhaust manifolds. While this change alone saved 45 pounds, the design was not without its faults; if run too long, the hot exhaust gases from the Super Duty 421 were capable of melting the aluminum exhaust manifolds. Just 14 “Swiss cheese” Catalinas were built, going to established Pontiac drag racers, including Mickey Thompson, Union Park Pontiac, and Maselles at Packer Pontiac.

At the hands of driver Maselles, the “Swiss cheese” Super Duty lightweight Catalina carrying the livery of Packer Pontiac (“America’s Largest Pontiac Dealer”) established itself as the NHRA C/Stock record holder in 1963, with a pass of 12.27 seconds at 114.64 MPH, a record that would stand until 1968. Sold by the team at the end of the 1963 season, this rare racing Pontiac was discovered by Super Duty collector Randy Williams in the late 1970s, and eventually subjected to a frame-off restoration by Pontiac expert Scott Tiemann that was completed in 2000. Williams only got to enjoy the car until his death in 2004; since that time it’s crossed the auction stage at least three times.

In 2006, it was offered as part of a five car “Super Duty” lot from the Randy Williams collection at Mecum’s St. Charles, Illinois, auction, but bidding stalled at $1,550,000. When the cars were split into five individual lots at that auction, they generated a total of nearly $1.9 million, with the Packer Pontiac “Swiss cheese” Catalina selling for $400,000. The car then crossed the stage a couple more times since then, first at Mecum’s Indianapolis auction in 2010, where bidding reached a high of $475,000, and then in 2012 at Mecum’s Dallas auction, where bidding went up to $570,000; it didn’t sell at either of the two auctions. For this year’s Indianapolis sale, Mecum expects the Packer Pontiac to realize a selling price between $600,000 and $800,000.

Mecum’s Indianapolis sale will take place May 13-18, and this car is scheduled to cross the stage on Saturday, May 17. For further details, visit Mecum.com.

Third time’s the charm? After failing to sell at auction twice over the last year, the so-called “entombed” Corvette, which spent 27 years sealed off from the outside world, sold this past Saturday for $80,000.

When Richard Sampson hid his 1954 Chevrolet Corvette away in a Brunswick, Maine, grocery store with less than 2,400 miles on the odometer in 1959, he expected that it would stay in its sealed brick vault until 2000. He died 10 years later, however, and his daughter Cynthia, had the Corvette extracted in 1986 then promptly placed it in her living room. She then sold it another 10 years later in unrestored and original condition, in which it remains today.

Initially offered at last year’s Mecum Kissimmee auction, the 1954 Chevrolet Corvette bid up to $100,000, but failed to sell. Bids again ratcheted up to $99,000 at Mecum’s Corvette-centric Bloomington Gold auction this past June, but again it didn’t sell. At this past weekend’s Mecum Kissimmee auction, Mecum anticipated that it would sell for $75,000 to $100,000.

Driven just 2,331 miles since it was new, this may very well be the lowest mileage 1954 Corvette on the planet. Although 1954 Corvettes in number 2 condition average $80,000, the fact that this car is a well-preserved original that is essentially brand new and that it’s one of the most famous 1954 Corvettes of all, the new owner clearly scored himself a deal.

Building a car with monster horsepower and a mind-numbing top speed is not particularly difficult, assuming that money is no object. Making that car docile enough to serve as a daily driver in the real world, with functional amenities such as air conditioning and a factory stereo system, presents an entirely new set of challenges, one that (generally) does not coexist with a goal of establishing a high speed record. One of the best-known exceptions to this rule was the 1988 Chevrolet Corvette Callaway Sledgehammer, which will come up for sale this coming January.

The roots of the Sledgehammer Corvette can be traced to another top-speed Callaway project, the Top Gun Corvette that scored a top-speed victory at Car and Driver‘s “Gathering of Eagles” high-speed throwdown. The Top Gun Corvette achieved a maximum speed of 231 MPH, easily besting the other entrants, but leaving Reeves Callaway with a laundry list of things to improve on his next über-Corvette. Atop that list were two critical factors: improving the low-speed driveability and retaining the factory-delivered options. Furthermore, the next Callaway Corvette would be driven to and from any high-speed testing event, further demonstrating the capabilities of the car (instead of just the endurance of its driver).

The Sledgehammer Corvette began life as Callaway Corvette #88-051, but didn’t remain in that form for long. Before the car was ready for testing, changes would be made to its engine, suspension, bodywork and interior, all ensuring that the Sledgehammer would meet or exceed the expectations of Reeves Callaway. Starting with a four-bolt “Bowtie Block,” the Callaway staff added unique pistons and connecting rods, Brodix heads, a surprisingly mild custom camshaft and a pair of Turbonetics T04b turbochargers, fed through a pair of relocated intercoolers. Pushing 22 PSI of boost, Callaway estimated the engine would be good for 898 horsepower and 772 pound-feet of torque, which, on paper anyway, would give the car a top speed of 252 MPH.

To ensure the rest of the Sledgehammer was capable of delivering comparable performance, suspension changes included lowering ride height by one inch, repositioning the lower control arms, bolting on Koni shock absorbers and fitting 17-inch Dymag magnesium wheels shod with special Goodyear tires. Outside, the Sledgehammer became the first Callaway Corvette to wear the Callaway Aerobody package designed by Paul Deutschman and Deutschman Design, and this reshaped bodywork was essential to the car achieving its 250-plus MPH top speed goal. Not only did the Aerobody design look good, but it also improved cooling airflow, intake airflow and overall aerodynamics compared to a stock fourth-generation Corvette.

Inside, the Sledgehammer retained much of its stock configuration, with most changes (such as a leather-covered roll bar, five-point harnesses for driver and passenger and a fire suppression system) made in the name of safety. Monitoring and data logging equipment was added as well, but otherwise the Sledgehammer retained the same power locks, power windows, power mirrors, sport seats, Bose audio and air conditioning the car was delivered with. In keeping with Callaway’s design goals for the Sledgehammer, the car was driven from Callaway’s Old Lyme, Connecticut, offices to Ohio’s Transportation Research Center (TRC) for its proposed date with destiny.

Despite the steps taken to ensure that the Sledgehammer was well-sorted before reaching the TRC, problems arose. At around 135 MPH, the car developed a misfire that had engineers chasing a nonexistent ignition gremlin; the fault was ultimately traced to clogged injectors from a bad tank of gasoline. Next, just below the 200 MPH mark, an oil leak developed, but was quickly remedied, allowing the team to press on with testing. At the 215 MPH mark, the Sledgehammer seemed to stumble, as if the stated 250 MPH goal would be out of reach, and the engineering staff at the TRC impatiently asked the question, “How fast do you expect this car to go?”

When Callaway chief engineer Tim Good advised that the car was designed to go in excess of 250 MPH, his response elicited snickers from the TRC staff. A few improvements to the Sledgehammer’s frontal aerodynamics were made (using racer’s tape, of course), and the Sledgehammer was soon lapping at a partial-throttle speed of 248 MPH. In disbelief, a TRC asked if the car was capable of going faster, and at 3:45 p.m. on October 26, 1988, he received a definitive answer: The Callaway Sledgehammer, driven by John Lingenfelter, put down a lap at 254.76 MPH, establishing a new closed-course speed record (that would last for 25 years) in the process. Callaway was hardly an unknown entity prior to the Sledgehammer’s record-setting performance, but the car certainly helped to strengthen the tuner’s reputation as a builder of premium quality, no-compromise automobiles.

Scheduled to cross the block at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction, the Sledgehammer is expected to sell for $750,000 to $1 million. In 2004, the Sledgehammer Corvette sold at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $221,400, below its projected value of $250,000.

Before they built the Dodge A-100-based Deora, one of the most famous customized pickups of the 1960s, the Alexander brothers of Detroit built another pickup, though for an entirely different purpose. Intended to serve as their shop truck and parts chaser rather than as a turntable queen, the Grasshopper nevertheless collected its own share of show awards and accolades, and later this month will cross the auction block.

Not long after brothers and Army veterans Larry and Mike Alexander quit their day jobs to start their own customizing shop in 1957, the two decided they needed a shop truck that would double as a rolling billboard and calling card for their services. So they bought a $100 1931 Ford Model A, filled the roof and chopped it 2-1/2 inches, added 1929 Model A fenders, installed a filled and peaked 1932 Ford grille shell and mahogany-lined 1932 Ford pickup bed, and sprayed it all in Glade Green Metallic, a hue that led to its nickname as well as to a Best Paint award at the 1958 Detroit Autorama.

While the brothers kept the drivetrain rather sedate – just a stock 1951 Ford flathead V-8 backed by a Ford three-speed manual transmission – they did lower it with a dropped front axle and modified rear crossmember and spruce up the interior with green and white tuck and roll and a homemade gauge cluster using 1950s Chrysler gauges.

How long exactly the brothers kept Grasshopper – and whether they actually used it to haul parts for their business – isn’t clear, but it appeared to remain on the show circuit through the next couple of owners, the latter of which, Don Boake of Dayton, Ohio, removed the drivetrain to update it sometime in the late 1960s, but never got around to finishing the project. He reportedly claimed he’d only ever sell the Grasshopper to one or both of the Alexander brothers, and his wish came true when, in about 2001, Mike Alexander came knocking, looking to buy the pickup.

Mike then commissioned Metalcrafters, Inc., in Fountain Valley, California, to put the Grasshopper back together again. The customized body remained in good shape, but Metalcrafters had to replace the chassis with another 1929 Ford frame. This time, they went with a 1948 Ford flathead V-8, bored and ported and fitted with Edelbrock high-compression heads and dual Strombergs on an Edmunds intake manifold, backed by a Ford C4 automatic transmission and Ford 8-inch rear axle.

This unique 1963 Corvette was given to Harley Earl by General Motors. Photos by Sam Murtaugh, courtesy Mecum Auctions.

Harley Earl retired from a long and glorious career at General Motors in 1958, and among his many contributions to the brand was a car that would become a performance icon: the Chevrolet Corvette. In 1963, General Motors paid tribute to its longtime creative genius by giving him a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette, styled and equipped to match one displayed at the 1963 Chicago Auto Show. Next month, Earl’s Corvette will cross the block at Mecum’s Chicago sale.

At first glance, the most noticeable features of the Harley Earl Corvette are its distinctive sidepipes. A closer look, however, reveals numerous details that would appear on later Corvettes, such as the dual-circuit four-wheel disc brakes that would debut in 1965. The chrome trim, exterior badging, dash knobs and hood were all parts that would debut in the 1965 model year as well, and the sidepipes were a non-factory design originally seen on Larry Shinoda’s Mako Shark concept car. Even the instrumentation in Earl’s car, built under shop order (S.O.) 10323, was unique, including an altimeter, an accelerometer, a vacuum pressure gauge and an inside/outside thermometer. Power came from a 300 hp 327-cu.in. V-8, and S.O. 10323 also specified air conditioning to ensure Earl’s summertime comfort in the Florida sun.

According to Mecum’s auction description, Earl kept the car for just two years, though he reportedly drove it regularly on the streets of Palm Beach. It next went to a retired Army veteran from Maryland who used the car for a cross-country odyssey that became the subject of a local newspaper article. The Corvette would then drop from the radar until 1973, when it was purchased from a bankruptcy sale by a group looking to build a drag car. A detailed inspection soon revealed that the car was no ordinary Corvette, so the buyers opted to preserve their find intact.

Chevrolet built the Corvette L88 for one reason only: to come out on top in competition. While the 1967 Corvette L88 that crossed the block at this past weekend’s Mecum auction in Dallas long ago demonstrated its prowess on the race track, it proved to still have some punch left in it when it broke the record for Corvettes at public auction by selling for a hammer price of $3.2 million ($3.42 million, including the seven-percent buyer’s fee).

Originally sold to Jim Elmer by Lyman Slack Chevrolet of Portland, Oregon, the aluminum-headed 427-powered Corvette – one of 20 built in 1967 – was immediately modified for drag racing with the simple addition of headers and seven-inch drag slicks, according to Mecum’s description of the Corvette. These modifications allowed the car to deliver a quarter-mile run of 11.47 seconds, which Elmer pared down to 11.12 seconds at the 1967 Indy Nationals. Such enthusiastic use proved to be too much for the car’s transmission and rear end, and a warranty claim to replace these components was subsequently denied (perhaps due to the sponsorship decals and elapsed time numbers on the car). To avoid funding the repairs from his own pocket, Elmer sold the car in “as is” condition to Rob Robinson in February of 1968.

Robinson repaired the car and campaigned it throughout 1968 and 1969 at tracks in the Pacific Northwest. In 1970, he returned the car to street trim, and it was later sold to Corvette specialist Tim Thorpe. Thorpe began the process of restoration, but the partially completed car was sold to Buddy and Nova Herin in 1998. The Herrins then completed the restoration in the car’s original color of Marlboro Maroon (prompting DuPont to recreate a more authentic hue) with a black stinger and black top, and completed the restoration with the correct Kelsey-Hayes aluminum wheels.

The car retains a “mostly original” interior, including door panels and seat covers, and is believed to be the only 1967 Corvette L88 convertible (of 20 built) to retain all its original body panels. It was sold complete with the tank sticker and documentation from its early racing days (including the car’s first time slip), and took just five minutes of bidding to reach its selling price.